NEWS

European Union challenges in foreign and development policy - Letter by our Moldovan member CALM

The President of the Congress of Local Authorities from Moldova (CALM), Tatiana Badan, addressed a letter to Donald Tusk, President of the European Council, as well as to members of the European Parliament and Committee of the Regions, following the Brexit and the consequent debates on the challenges and the future of the European Union.

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Ms Badan claims that for a considerable period of time, CALM failed to see the external policies of the EU as being conducive of national development in the partner countries. "Like never before”, she writes, "this is the time to contemplate, to learn the lessons and to rethink many things”. Concretely, CALM suggests to focus on long-term development and on the needs of the people, instead of short-term concerns; on strengthening support to local governments, that are more transparent, accountable, and trusted by people, instead of central governments; and to further understand the local contexts in order to avoid actions which might further divert citizens away from the European Union and its principles.

All the policies implemented so far, together with the accommodation of some less reliable authoritarian political regimes both in the partner countries and worldwide, did definitely not build up confidence in the EU. It is now imperative to rethink of the EU external policies, no more time and resources can be wasted. "We all need strong, democratic, prosperous, inclusive and united Europe – Europe build on trust, common goals, accepted by all common values - Europe for all, for Member States, for all Europeans, for neighbours, for associated states and for all countries in the world”, concludes President Badan.

CALM is a key member of the network of ALDA, and is represented in the Governing Board of the Association by Alexandru Osadci. ALDA and CALM are working together for the opening of the future Local Democracy Agency in Cimișlia, Moldova.
Useful links:Read the full letter (.pdf, English)

ALDA Skopje in the framework of the project "Perfecting the structure for good internal management in ALDA Skopje" organized a training form the 10th to the 12th of December aimed at strengthening the capacities of ALDA in terms of improving the organizational skills in administration, finance and accountancy.

On November 29, 2018, in the village of Brod, for the commemoration ceremony of the 100 years of the end of the First World War, the Municipality of Novaci revealed a monument dedicated for the soldiers and civilians who perished on the front in Macedonia.